AiF Challenge Ahoy Matey! - FREE Card

Hello all. The challenge over at AiFactory Challenge Blog this week is to create a card using a sketch from anywhere you choose. This is the perfect time to check out all the sketch challenges in blog world.

You do not have to use AiFactory images but if you have them, I hope you will use them in your creation. There are also quite a few Freebies available at the store.

Today I am using FTL70 (Fall-To-Layout) from Clean and Simple Stamping. I LOVE their layouts. My DP is M's Just Chillin (one of my favorite paperpacks). I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to place my letters, so if you are wondering, yes, I intentionally made them crooked :)

This week you are playing for the Nautical Collection. It's adorable! For my card, I wanted more of a 3D look (because my favorite item ever is 3D dots). I used glaze on the water and flag just for a little added shine.

About the FREE CARD....I would love to send this to one of my lovely readers. I know most of you who visit me probably make your own cards, but if you'd like this one (envelope included), please leave me a comment. I LOVE reading comments left for me. If there is more than one comment ;) I will choose one person at random.

Friday with The Character Cafe

Hello everyone! So this week at The Character Cafe challenge blog, half of the DT is using a freebie from Lauren Meader. The other half is to go out into blogland and enter a challenge using a TCC image. Well, I'm the "other half"and have no challenge to enter. As a matter of fact, I was pretty excited to use the Cutesy Cover freebie, a new TCC image, and my new Make-The-Cut software.

So I downloaded Lauren's freebie as an SVG and Make-The-Cut converts it all somehow. This little box was super easy! I sized it to about the size of a Crayon box.

I also used the Robbie Raccoon digistamp and created a cut file and pieced it together. Yup, my own personal die cuts from my favorite digistamps.

So head on over to The Character Cafe to enter this weeks challenge and don't forget to pick up your Cutesy Cover freebie. If you don't have a die cutting machine, there is also a hand-cut download available. Of course, I encourage you to visit the rest of the TCC DT blogs ----> for more inspiration.

Walrus Thanks & Seahorse Friend

So we were out of town last week in South Carolina (my first time there and Bean's first flight). We stayed with family and I wanted to make sure to send a thank you card for making us feel so at home. I also wanted something slightly masculine since this will primarily be from my DH.

So using an adorable digistamp from AiFactory, this is my card for this weeks challenge. The challenge is to use 5 embellishments on your creation and believe it or not, I had a little trouble doing this!

Depending on how you count, I have either 5 or 6 (I count the two ribbons as one, 3 brads, and one photo holder...so it's six if you count the two ribbons as two). Details: M Just chillin DP, AiF image, nesties, copics, Ranger Blue Jean ink, brads, ribbon, computer generated sentiment.

Challenges in this card include:

• AiFactory - 5 embellishments


• 2Sketches4You - layout #44


• Spoon Full of Sugar - Lots of layering

******Card Two******

I love this new digi set and wanted to make just one more card. It doesn't fit the AiF challenge but this set really is adorable. As a matter of fact, you can win this entire set by entering this week's challenge over at AiF Challenge Blog.


This card uses AiF digistamp, M's Cheeky Collection, Michael's $1 acrylic stamps, nesties, Stampin' Up cardstock, copics' 3D dots.

Challenges this card meets:

• Pink Elephant - layout #50
  
• Spoon Full of Sugar - lots of layering

I hope you will check out the rest of the DT blogs this week for more inspiration using these digistamps: Angie, Erin, Carole, Fink, and Kerry. Oh, I must mention there is an awesome blow fish in this set! I guess I just thought that was important because we saw a HUGE one at the aquarium recently.

Love Bird

So I made this card for the Character Cafe Feature Friday (yes I know it's Tuesday) and for the 2Sketches4You (that has already passed)...I obviously didn't get to post this on time but I still want to share it with you.

It uses a super adorable digistamp from TCC, colored with copics, cut, and adhered with 3D dots. The Feature Friday challenge is to use only one DP, button(s), and ribbon. I thought to dress-up the one and only DP, I would zig-zag stitch around the edges.

I just LOVE this little guy...I was thinking of sentiments such as:

• You give my heart wings

• Your love makes my heart flutter

• You make my heart soar

OK, so I'm being cheesy.

Here is my use of button and ribbon. The ribbon is very thin so I found the smallest stamp I have and used Stazon. I added a little thread to my button and used a glue dot under it.

I do hope you will stop by The Character Cafe to play along with this weeks challenge. Also, check out the rest of the DT creations. Their blogs are on the right-----> and they are super talented!

BTW, this card is going to be from Bean to her Grandma. My ma loves my cards and I know she will appreciate it even more with scribbles and finger prints on the inside.

****The Character Cafe Blog Hop Winner****

I want to thank all of you who participated in the last Character Cafe Blog Hop. It was a great hop featuring lots of new digistamp releases. I used Random.org to pick the winner of the digistamp I used, Relaxing Rosebud. So, without further ado, the winner is:

#7
dmgifts

Love You on a Cloud

I'm late! I meant to have this posted this morning but just got a connection now. Anyway, I want to share with you a super cute digistamp from AiFactory...actually, it's a new release. Also, there is a challenge over at AiF Challenges Blog to create something using lace and made for Valentines.

The DP happens to have lace already built in! But I thought to be fair, I'd throw in some real lace. I only had off white and couldn't stand how it looked, so I pulled out a red copic and got coloring. It was taking a little while to dry so I used my heat gun to speed it along. The image is AiF - isn't she adorable? The sentiment is computer generated, and the wonderful layout is MojoMonday.

I can't wait for the day when Bean looks through her keepsake box when she's older and realized how much I think of her daily.

Anyway, I hope you will head over to AiF to enter the challenge to win this digistamp for yourself.

Thank You

I just got this pack of flowers at Michael's this weekend and HAD to use them. I thought something CAS would be great.

Of course there are so many ways to change this up. I thought of drawing a box around the flowers, putting them on squares, or even putting them on a panel. BTW, this was made in under 5 minutes. Paper is PTI kraft, sentiment is Short & Sweet from Stampin' Up (can you tell I LOVE this set yet?), flowers from Michaels. The only challenge this fits is Cute Card Thursday who's challenge is "Something New" and my new are the flower!

Card for 1st Birthday

Some friends of ours have a little girl named Anna Kate who will be turning 1 this month. I am so excited for them and Anna Kate is just a doll. I found an adorable outfit at Target (yes, I love Target and think their clothes are excellent) and here is the card I made to go with the gift:

This was a super simple card with a great layout from Pals Paper Arts. Paper is PTI and DP is DCSW. The lovely ribbon is from Michael's $1 bin (you never know what you'll find in those bins sometimes).

The image is AiFactory colored with copics (this digistamp is actually a FREEBIE that you can find HERE), and the sentiment is Short & Sweet from Stampin' Up (just LOVE that set). Unfortunately, we will have to miss the party do to prior plans, but I hope they will understand and I hope Anna Kate has a wonderful day!

This card meets the following challenges:

• Pals Paper Arts - Layout
• The Pink Elephant - Birthday
• Cupcake Craft Challenges - Something Girlie
  

The Character Cafe Blog Hop

Hello all and welcome to January's Character Cafe Blog Hop. For this particular blog hop, you can collect one letter from each blog (in order) to reveal the secret discount code to use at the Character Cafe Store. My letter is: L

So you'll want to start at The Character Cafe Store and collect all the letters along the way. For this hop, I am pleased to present to you: Relaxing Rosebud!

Isn't she so sweet?

She is colored with Copics and Bics, the layout is Splitcoaststampers SC262 and the color combo is from colourQ Challenge 14. The sentiment is from Stampin' Up's Short & Sweet set (just got this and LOVE it!), and the "ribbon" is from Michael's $1 bin. She is going to make an excellent Valentines Day card.

So you have a chance to win this digistamp and other goodies simply by following along the hop. The order of the hop is:

• The Character Cafe Store
  
• Kendra
• Sara
• Piali
• Billie
• Heather
• Fink
• Lola (ME)
• Meredith
• Rachel
• Deanne
• Angie C
• Angie E
• Diane
• Kelly (at the Cafe)

Additional Info: Leave ME a comment for a chance to win the digistamp used in my card. I will draw one comment at random next week!

Also, collect all the letters along the way, in order, to spell out the 30% discount code to use at the Character Cafe shop where you can get incredible digistamps (code good through next Friday morning, January 15). New to digi's? Leave me a comment with any questions and a way to contact you and I'd be happy to give you an answer.

Grand Prize Info: 1) leave a comment on all the blogs along the way (each comment is an entry) 2) when you get to the Cafe Blog (the last blog on the hop), leave a comment telling us what kind of cards you make most often (birthday, thank you, congrats, etc). That's it...super easy. The Grand Prize will be 4 digistamps from the January New Releases (Wiggies, Oh Lolly Lolly, Puppy Love, and Calvin). Thanks so much for hopping with us!!

Cup of Coffee

There's a challenge blog out there by a young girl named Aly, so I thought I would give it a go. Using a digistamp from Digital Delights, I was hoping to go for a something light and cheery.

The DCS is from DCWV the Sweet Stack and the sentiment is from Recollections stamped with chalk ink. I did my best to not make any coloring mistakes because I still haven't gotten a refill for my blender pen!

So if you like the layout, I hope you'll pop on over to Aly's Challenge Blog. Have a good day all!

Te Quiero Vaca

So this is my first Valentines Day Card. I'm actually early for something!

This is going to be for my DH. I told him in a matter of fact voice "You're taking me to the Tea Room for Valentines Day." He said "Oh...OK." Then I reminded him, "It's going to fill up quick so you better make reservations." He's never been good at reading my mind, so I'm gettin' good at telling him exactly what I want ;)

For those of you non-Spanish speakers: Te quiero Moo-cho (a play on the word mucho) = I love you a lot.

Here's some details: digistamp from Softpencil (her Etsy shop, her AiF shop), sewing, DCWV the Sweet Stack (patterned CS), Copics, computer generated sentiment, G red glitter, Doodlecharms cricut heart cut at 1" and 1.5" (inside). I actually cut the larger heart first and it didn't look good on the front, but I didn't want to waste it so I put it inside.

This also fits the following challenges:

• Pile It On - challenge 29 Anything Digital
• Softpencil - challenge 13 glitter/sparkle (my butterfly)
• Embellish Magazine - Hearts and color combo red/black/pink
• Splitcoaststampers - SC261 layout

Now I have to make something special for Bean. Maybe something with candy.

Happy New Year

I hope every one had a great Christmas and safe new year. Just a quick post to share my stylin' zebra with you. I got lots of goodies from my DH this year, including the Paisley Cachemire cart.

There are some really cute cuts as well as some "what the heck would I use this for?" cuts. So I took one of the "what the hecks" to challenge myself.

I used Ranger Tea ink to shade just about everything. I also thought a googly eye worked better than the die cut eye. He is cut at 3" and I used plenty of pop dots.

I tried to make it look like he was driving along the edge of the card. You can see it more from the side. Again, happy New Year and I hope to get back to many fun challenges in the new year.